Odette Derryberry portrays Mother Superior Miriam Ruth in "Agnes of God." Sister Agnes has been indicted for manslaughter for killing her newborn child and Dr. Livingston must hypnotize her to find the truth behind the mysterious death. ISAAC ARJONILLA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Agnes of God

LAGUNA WOODS –Theatergoers who enjoy powerful performances and thought-provoking dramas will be lining up for The Old Pros’ production of “Agnes of God, appearing on the Clubhouse Three Main Stage Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Written by John Pielmeier, “Agnes of God” is based on a true account of a novice nun who gives birth and insists that the child, later found dead, was the result of a virgin conception. Was it insanity or a miracle? The playwright presents the evidence, and then leaves it to the audience to decide.

Jeanne Sanner directs the production and also plays the court-appointed psychiatrist who investigates the case. Odette Derryberry and Carol Shallin round out the cast as Mother Miriam and Agnes, respectively. The story is cleverly played out in three separate venues onstage, using only lighting to mark the transition from one to another.

Sanner described the characters as “three dimensional – very complex, but very clear.” She believes the most challenging role is that of Agnes.

“Carol Shallin is doing a beautiful job in finding the balance between being angelic and being afraid of what’s happening,” Sanner said. “She has to have the peace and love of God at the same time she’s contenting with very threatening circumstances.”

Sanner noted the theater production of “Agnes of God” bears little resemblance to the 1985 film starring Jane Fonda, Anne Bancroft and Meg Tilly. “The movie was ‘Hollywood-ized’ to the point that it lost its message. The ending is quite different in the play than in the movie, and there’s more depth.”

The Globe sat down with Sanner to delve deeper into what makes the characters in “Agnes of God” tick.

Q: What moral and spiritual issues does each character confront?

A:The psychiatrist is facing the issue of her anger towards the church because her sister died at a convent. Mother Miriam’s whole faith is based on Agnes actually being special and blessed by God, and that the pregnancy is miraculous rather than scientific. Each is fighting for their perceived truths based upon their own needs. Agnes is truly an innocent. She was abused as a child, has been extremely sheltered and is unaware of the world that most of us know. She is the rope on which the two of them tug.

Q: What drives the psychiatrist and Mother Miriam’s behavior?

A:What the Mother Superior and psychiatrist do are out of genuine love, caring and belief in their own particular philosophy of life. There is no animosity toward Agnes, but each sees the other as an enemy. They’re both fighting for survival of Agnes; one is fighting for her spiritual survival and the other is fighting for her mental wellbeing.

Q: What do you believe is the central message of the story?

A:Just because we think we are right doesn’t mean we are. Both characters think they are handling the situation with Agnes correctly. It’s a war between science and faith; a struggle between emotions and logic.

Q: Do you think Pielmeier wants us to believe in miracles?

A:The playwright is very clever in that he leaves a bit of a question. Even when we come up with what seems to be the answer, he cleverly causes us to question that evidence.

Q: In what ways do you think audiences will relate to the characters?

A:What they will relate to is the internal conflict between faith and what we perceive to be reality. I think all of us struggle, at times, wanting to believe in miracles and knowing that they may not really exist. So we’re torn between science, which tends to want to prove things, and faith, which is without evidence.

Q: What do you hope audiences will take away from the play?

A:If we engross them properly, they will go away with lots to think about as far as their own philosophy of life and faith. I think what happens often in a tragedy is that we walk away appreciating our own lives better and more.

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